By: Lydia Crawley – The Parsons Advocate
The Riverwalk Trail has officially opened along the Blackwater River in Davis. Friends of the Blackwater, Blackwater Bikes and Land Donator Pete Johnson were on hand Saturday, June 7th for the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony conducted by Davis Mayor Al Tomson on behalf of the Chamber of Commerce and the Town of Davis.
Following the ceremony, participants were invited to walk the trail to the Gaging Station at the end of the trail just past New Heritage Distillery. A Gage has existed at the site since April 25, 1921, the Friends of the Blackwater state. The old station building will soon be converted into an information station with the history of the Gaging Station and information about its operation such as measuring water quality, temperature and pH.
A new Gage has been installed at the site to measure water quality as well as flow, the Friends of the Blackwater state, as part of efforts to control the effects of acid mine drainage. Gaging Station information can be located at https://waterdata.usgs.gov.
The Riverwalk Trail begins at Davis Town Park and ends just past New Heritage Distillery on William Avenue and follows along the Blackwater River. Future plans for the trail include the construction of a bridge that will connect the trail to the longer trail network across the river and expansion of the trail to where the new Visitor’s Center is being constructed near the edge of town.
Pete Johnson, who donated land from the Riverwalk Development for the project, said that he felt that the trail brought the community and nature together. The day also included a raffle and refreshments. A tour of the Blackwater Canyon Trail hosted by Frank Slider concluded the day.
